TENNIS
Naomi Osaka surges from slow start to win 2nd US Open title
Naomi Osaka has another US Open title to add to her trophy case.
The 22-year-old launched a stunning comeback to top Victoria Azarenka with a score of 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the US Open final, her second win in Flushing Meadows and third Grand Slam win.
Osaka won 12 of last 16 games
Azarenka dominated early, cruising to a 6-1 win in the first set and breaking Osaka early in the second set. Down 30-40 and facing a 3-0 hole, Osaka broke Azarenka back and surged ahead to even the match with a 6-3 second set win.
Osaka scored a key break early in the third set to move ahead 2-1, but Azarenka was poised to break her right back when she won the next game’s first three points. Osaka saved three break points, then finished Azarenka off to stay on top.
Azarenka succeeded in breaking Osaka two games later, but Osaka responded with a break of her own, then served for the championship.
Osaka used US Open platform to highlight police brutality
Over the course of her US Open run, Osaka strategically used her masks to highlight victims of police brutality. She started with Breonna Taylor and was soon making headlines.
On Saturday, it was Tamir Rice’s name on the mask.
Parents of both Trayvon Martin and Ahmaud Arbery thanked Osaka in a video for sending the message.
“I feel like I'm a vessel, at this point, in order to spread awareness. It’s not going to dull the pain, but hopefully I can help with anything that the need.” Osaka said after seeing the video.
Depleted women’s field at surreal US Open
Even beyond the fight for racial injustice, Osaka’s win comes in a US Open like no other, played in an empty Billie Jean King Tennis Center amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The women’s singles field was particularly depleted as the tournament began, with six members of the WTA top 10 — including world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty and defending US Open champion Bianca Andreescu — withdrawing before the tournament due to concerns about travel and the pandemic.
The chaos of the draw only continued when No. 1 seed Karolina Pliskova fell in the second round. No. 2 seed Sofia Kenin, who won the Australian Open this year, went down a round later, leaving Osaka and Serena Williams as the only players left in the top 10 entering the quarterfinals.
Ongoing Protest by High School Students in the Streets Port-au-Prince
Students from several public institutions in Port-au-Prince and its surroundings travelled through the streets of the Capital on September 9, 2020. The aim of their protest was to demand the resumption of classes in public schools operating in Port-au-Prince.
Some even forced their way into schools that were in session to persuade those students take to the streets and join them.
Agents of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) chased the public school students with tear gas, because they were throwing stones at several private school buildings in downtown Port-au-Prince. On September 8, 2020, the public school students announced their intention to force students from several private schools in the Capital to leave their classrooms and take to the streets to join them.
The Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP) denounced a sector that «is manipulating» students for unspoken purposes.
Port-au-Prince is not the only city where student demonstrations have taken place recently. Students from the Jean Hubert Feuillé High School in Port Salut, Southern Department, recently set up school furniture and materials on the National Road number 7 (RN7) connecting the Southern Department to that of Grand'Anse.
The protest by the students was to solicit the presence of teachers in the classrooms. They also sought to show their solidarity with students from Pinchinat high school in Jacmel (South East). The latter were victims of police brutality on August 25, 2020, following a demonstration in Jacmel.
According to the new school calendar of the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP), the official exams should take place during the month of October 2020.
However, after the reopening of classes in early August 2020, teachers and teachers-in-training in Port-au-Prince and several provincial cities continue to express their dissatisfaction. They are requesting for back pay, as well as better working conditions.
Haiti-Protests: teachers will march on September 14 against insecurity and the cost of life
The leadership of Teachers' Organizations announced last week that they will begin mobilizing on September 14 to denounce the resurgence of insecurity. They are calling for better living conditions for families, parents, and teachers whose poor social situation has worsened since the appearance of the coronavirus in Haiti.
US Weapons Sale, $12 Million for Haiti Police Raises “Troubling Questions”
9-11 minutes
By Jake Johnston and Kira Paulemon on August 31, 2020
In November 2019, as part of its support for the Haitian National Police (HNP), the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and LawEnforcement Affairs (INL) awarded a $73,000 contract for the provision of “riot gear kit[shttps://haitiantimes.com/2020/09/02/us-weapons-sale-12-million-for-haiti-police-raises-troubling-questions/">Center for Economic and Policy Research
Debate schedule for the 2020 presidential election released
The schedule is set for the 2020 presidential and vice presidential debates — with the candidates squaring off later this September into October.
President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will meet on the stage for the first of three debates on Sept. 29 in Cleveland, Ohio, while their running mates, Vice President Mike Pence and California Sen. Kamala Harris, will face off on Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City, Utah, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced Wednesday.
All four debates will run for 90 minutes, from 9 p.m. ET until 10:30 p.m. ET.
Ticketing will be extremely limited for all four events.
Here’s a more detailed look at the debates ahead:
Sept. 29
First presidential debate will be held at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. Fox News anchor Chris Wallace will moderate.
Oct. 7
The vice presidential debate will be held at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. USA Today’s Washington bureau chief Susan Page will moderate.
Oct. 15
Second presidential debate will be held at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida. Steve Scully, senior executive producer and political editor of C-SPAN Networks, will moderate.
Oct. 22
The third presidential debate will be held at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Kristen Welker, co-anchor of “Weekend Today” and NBC News’ White House correspondent, will moderate.